Turkish phone numbers: +90 format, IMEI registration and getting one for SMS
Ten digits after +90, a 5 for every mobile, and a 120-day limit for phones bought abroad. How Turkish numbers work, and how to get one for a sign-up code without a SIM card.
Turkish phone numbers follow one simple pattern: +90, then ten digits, and a mobile always starts with 5. Once you know that, you can read any Turkish number at a glance.
The questions usually start after that. Why does the same number begin with 0 on a shop sign but with +90 in WhatsApp? Why does a phone brought from home lose signal after a few months in Turkey? And how do you get a +90 number for a sign-up code when you aren't in Turkey at all? This guide answers all three.
What a Turkish phone number looks like
Every Turkish number has ten digits after the country code, +90. People in Turkey write them in groups of three, three, two and two:
+90 5xx xxx xx xx
Inside Turkey, a 0 takes the place of +90, so the same number is written 0 5xx xxx xx xx. That's why a business card shows eleven digits starting with 0, while WhatsApp shows +90 and ten.
The first digit after +90 tells you what kind of number you're looking at:
- 5 is a mobile.
- 2, 3 or 4 is a landline, and the first three digits are the area code. Istanbul has two: 212 on the European side and 216 on the Asian side. Ankara is 312 and İzmir is 232.
- 444 is a company's call center line. It has only seven digits, 444 xx xx, and you dial it the same way from anywhere in Turkey.
- 850 numbers aren't tied to any city.
- 800 numbers are free to call. Numbers starting with 900, 888 or 898 are premium-rate and cost extra.
Which network a mobile number is on
The three digits after +90 also hint at the mobile network:
| Starts with | Network |
|---|---|
| 530 to 539 | Turkcell |
| 540 to 549 | Vodafone |
| 500 to 509, 551 to 559 | Türk Telekom |
It's only a hint, though. People in Turkey can move to another network and keep their number, so a 532 number may well be on Vodafone today.
How to dial a Turkish number
From abroad, dial +90 and the ten digits, and leave out the 0. On a mobile, the + works from any country. On a landline, type 00 instead of the + in most of the world, or 011 in the US and Canada.
Inside Turkey, it's the other way round: dial 0 and the ten digits, with no +90.
| You're calling | You dial |
|---|---|
| A Turkish mobile from abroad | +90 5xx xxx xx xx |
| A Turkish mobile inside Turkey | 0 5xx xxx xx xx |
| An Istanbul landline from abroad | +90 212 xxx xx xx |
| Another country from Turkey | 00, the country code, the number |
Typing a Turkish number into an app? Most apps and websites have a country list next to the phone box. Choose Turkey (+90), then type the ten digits without the 0: 5xx xxx xx xx. If you type the 0 as well, a lot of forms will tell you the number is invalid.
Why phones from abroad lose signal in Turkey
Every phone has a serial number called an IMEI. Type *#06# into your phone's dialer and it shows up on the screen. Turkey keeps a list of the IMEIs allowed on its mobile networks. Phones sold in Turkey are on that list already. Phones bought abroad aren't, so they get a grace period instead.
Here's how it works in 2026:
- About four months free. A phone from abroad can use a Turkish SIM card for 120 days without being registered. The clock starts the day a Turkish SIM first goes in.
- Then the networks cut it off. After 120 days, an unregistered phone can't use any of Turkey's three mobile networks: no calls, no texts, no mobile data. Wi-Fi still works.
- Registering costs a lot. In 2026 the fee is 54,258 Turkish lira, more than a thousand US dollars, and it goes up every January.
- It all happens on e-Devlet, the Turkish government's online portal. You pay the fee, then register the phone there within 120 days of arriving. Signing in to e-Devlet takes a Turkish ID number, or the foreigner ID number that comes with a residence permit.
- One phone every three years. If you've registered a phone from abroad recently, you can't register another one yet.
What that means for you:
- On holiday? Nothing to do. A trip shorter than four months never reaches the limit.
- Staying longer than four months? Register the phone before the 120 days run out, or buy a phone in Turkey, which comes registered.
- Only need a Turkish number for a code? Then none of this applies to you, as the next section shows.
Three ways to get a Turkish number
A Turkish SIM card
Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom all sell SIM cards to visitors, at the airport and in their shops. Bring your passport: every line in Turkey is registered to the buyer's ID. You get a real Turkish number for calls, texts and data, which is handy for taxis, deliveries and anyone local who needs to reach you.
The SIM goes into your phone, though, so the 120-day rule above applies.
A travel eSIM
A travel eSIM for Turkey is the easiest way to have mobile data the moment you land, with nothing to buy at the airport. Our plans are data only, so they don't come with a Turkish number. Your own SIM keeps your usual number, so calls and bank codes still reach you.
An online +90 number for one code
Sometimes all you need is a Turkish number for a sign-up code: a Turkish shopping or food delivery app like Hepsiburada or Yemeksepeti, or a WhatsApp account on a +90 number. You don't need a SIM card or a trip to Turkey for that.
Here's how it works on 1001SMS:
- Open the Turkey page and pick the app you're signing up for.
- You get a Turkish mobile number. Type it into the app without the 0.
- The code shows up on the page, usually within a minute or two.
If no code comes, cancel and the money goes back to your balance. And since the number never goes into your phone, IMEI rules, passports and shop visits don't come into it.
Keep in mind that the number is yours for that one code. After that it goes back into the pool, and someone else can rent it. That's fine for getting through a sign-up, but not for accounts tied to who you are. Turkish banks and e-Devlet link your number to your ID and will text it again later, so use your own registered line for those.
If an app says the number can't be used, cancel and order another one. Apps look a number up before they send a code, and our guide to VoIP numbers explains what they check.
Quick answers
What is Turkey's country code? +90. From a landline abroad, dial 00 90 in most countries, or 011 90 from the US and Canada.
How many digits is a Turkish phone number? Ten after +90. Written inside Turkey, with the 0 in front, that's eleven.
How can I tell a Turkish mobile number from a landline? After +90, a mobile starts with 5. A landline starts with 2, 3 or 4.
Is +90 392 a Turkish number? It's Northern Cyprus. It shares Turkey's +90 country code, with 392 as its area code.
Do I need to register my phone for two weeks in Turkey? No. The limit is 120 days, so a holiday is fine.
Can I get a Turkish number for WhatsApp? Yes, on the Turkey WhatsApp page. Just remember the number is yours for one code. If you move WhatsApp to a new phone later, it will text that number again, and you won't have it anymore.
In short
A Turkish number is +90 and ten digits, and a mobile starts with 5. Leave out the 0 when you type it into an app. A phone from abroad gets 120 days on Turkish networks before it has to be registered, so a holiday is no problem. And if you only need a +90 number for a sign-up code, you can get one online, with no SIM card and no trip to Turkey.
Sources:
- Wikipedia: Telephone numbers in Turkey (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_numbers_in_Turkey)
- e-Devlet: IMEI Kaydet (https://www.turkiye.gov.tr/btk-imei-kaydet)
- CHIP Online: BTK'dan IMEI kayıtlarında yeni dönem: Artık tek başvuru adresi e-Devlet (https://www.chip.com.tr/guncel/btkdan-imei-kayitlarinda-yeni-donem-artik-tek-basvuru-adresi-e-devlet_181533.html)
- Türkiye Today: Deadline nears: New regulation ends dual SIM loophole in Türkiye (https://www.turkiyetoday.com/nation/deadline-nears-new-regulation-ends-dual-sim-loophole-in-turkiye-3218016)
- STB CPA Turkey: 2026 Yılı Pasaport, Ehliyet ve IMEI Kayıt Harçları Belli Oldu (https://www.stb-cpaturkey.com/2026-yili-harc-tutarlari-belirlendi-pasaport-tapu-yargi-noter/)
- Turkey Travel Planner: Registering your Mobile Phone for Use in Turkey (https://turkeytravelplanner.com/details/Communications/registering_mobile_phones_in_turkey.html)
